“2 and “keep- obo growing!’ 1) TEMPER lowering. plant will . stay beautiful longer: if it can be kept “)" pelatively cool) The current “:- energy conservation practice of turning down the thermostat at night has a highly. beneficial ‘ effeeton both healing bills and house plants. This temperature “yaridlionsimulates nature's own désign of cool evenings atid- warm days. : ' LIGHT: | Most. flowering plants need lols of light to: bloom. ~ Leaf plants need light. - too- bul they prefer Lhe diffused ' Jight that filters through sheers _ dr olher lightweight drapes.” North windows provide daylight . » but no direct sun. For those plants: thal require direct sun, South windows: are best, Sun _ comes in from this direction for the longest period each day. Supplementary light from ordinary or fluorescent lamps - can’ work- wonders where ight from-‘vindows isn't enough to . keep*house plants, growing as ” they-should, 0°) WATER: Incorrect watering is probably responsible for more house plant problems than-any other factor. Most people appreciate that plants “ need--water’ to survive - bul ¢ many .don't:-reallze that too . much water:can drown a house + -[plaht, The roots can't’ breathe voit pogpy, soll -"so water only. S-".whebra plant needs it'- thal is +" whe the soll 4 an inch down in "the potisdry. Use warm waler - or-water thal has been stan- ding in:a pail’or watering can : Jong enough to came to room temperature, Plants don’t ‘enjoy ire cold water ‘thestap any. more (han ‘people do;’vAnd if your. regular lap % water goes through’ a- water ‘sgoftener, don'l-use it on your ‘plants,’ Get the water from-an watery, * FEEDING: . Bear that plants don't cat. «they drink-.s0 Liquid fertilizers that dissolve easily and quickly in: water ‘are preferred... Recent experience has also Indicated thal frequent applications of a fairly. dilute (low, analysis) fertilizer is more beneficial to - P " house’: plants _than ‘occasional applications. of more con- centrated plant. foods. The ‘Jittla and often' feeding method- “provides essential nutrients Ina sendy supply - and now there 1s - a pew low. analygls liquid fe tillzer on’ the market to meet _ this” :need. 1b. is . Chipmart . ‘Kerigrow? .. contains ~-anytrients | house, plants need’ - pipaphate, nitrogen and potash pls "seawebk vextract =; _ vorgaiite nutrient’that provides - water, . - *CYCLAMENS:* ' outside,faucel - or. collect rain. nv? mind house plant food. It - >.’ the three’ major. Gariely, of desirable minor | elements. mo ~ 1. This product is a: complete “plant food and is all a house plant needs to prow and bloom. And it comes in a convenient... dispenser that makes it easy to apply a few drops to the soil in* each pot’- and water as usual, That was your house plants get ‘régular applications of small amounts of fertilizer - just what the plant doctors:are ordering! Of’ course, different ° plants require different care and thrive under different con- ‘ditiéns, - Here’s a run-down on how.to handle some of the most popular house plant: AFRICAN VIOLETS: Easy lo grow successfully nowadays, they thrive under average house conditions and will bloom ~ the year round, They can grow inany window - or under lighis. Protect them from direct sun... Feed lightly with ‘Kerigrow’ : when you water with warm These beautiful Mowering plants don’t last very long in the average home - simply . because it’s too - hot! The Hke lernperatures of 50 lo's5 degrees at night -‘and not much more than 65 during theday. However, if yau have a - ‘cool! room In the house - and a. + . South-lacing' window, you \can’ keep Cyclamens blooming right » through till Spring. - Fertliize lighily with ‘Kerigrow’ lo keep: the flowers up to size and- healthy. Sr POINSETTAS: These tokens. of the Christmas season are semi-tropical in origin, so Unive * inhonetemperalures of around” TO degrees - but with their large * thin leaves they need a lol of 5. diligent walering. Not too much « but too little and the plant will: : immediately shed leaves, ...It’ also needs a lot af light, so keep” iL close to awindow, With care ~ direct from- you’ can keep a Poinsetta é -. looking pretly till about the end ~¢° of January - then it will shed all its-leaves and go into a rest period. ‘At that point you might as well discard them, Carrying a Poinsetla over for another - Christmas 1s an Involved procedure best left to the specialists. oe -AZALEAS: Tend to be treated the same as Polnseltas - _ance the flowers have gone - out they go - which is unfortunate because “:once these ex- ceplionally | free-flowering lants have stopped Mowering.- they ‘become beauliful follage - plants."Pul Azaleas as close to _ windows